HOW TO CLEAN Your Chloe (lining, pen marks, stains)
- Thread starter theITbag
- Start date
I got denim color transfer on my ivory pebble leather bag (similar leather to the Marcie) as well. I was able to get it off with the magic eraser. Just do it gently or try a small test spot. I would try the baby wipes method first and then the magic eraser.
Proud owner of a Chloé Hudson Mini fringe bag and I have looked and read hundreds of posts amongst various threads from Chanel to Hermès forums on here on how people treat their bags and thought I'd condense my thoughts to all those who may be seeing this for the first time, especially in an older thread such as this that hasn't been too active.
Here is my bag:
The material composition for this particular Hudson style (according to the original tags):
Lining: 100% Suede Calfskin
Main Material: 100% Calfskin
Flap: 100% Lambskin
A lot of places including Net-A-Porter here (click "View product details) advertise that this is simply a calfskin bag but the flap here is lambskin which is much more delicate and care must be taken in products chosen to care for not only the lambskin and calfskin areas of the bag but the suede interior and fringe on the outside of the bag. Conditioners that are fine for calfskin may not be gentle enough for lambskin... You could buy multiple products to address each part of the bag but I wanted to condense my choices and effort.
Based on what I've read so far... I've seen a lot of recommendations for Collonil Waterstop spray for waterproofing (especially for brand new bags) and based on reviews and the product, it is safe for smooth leathers (delicate leather such as lambskin included) and suede. Used properly it sounds the product doesn't affect the supple buttery texture of lambskin while also allowing the leather to breathe which is very important. A reviewer on Amazon said she used it on Chloé and Gucci suede bags without adverse affects. Mulberry also recommends the product based on what I've read on the forums as well:
Conveniently available on Amazon but not without Prime shipping...
Then for conditioning the leather for maintenance and to clean and moisturize the leather (because leather is a dead animal's skin and needs to be maintained less it become cardboard dry and develops cracks and breaks), I've heard over and over in the Chanel lambskin care thread that the Chanel stores use Cadillac Boot and Shoe Care but it is now renamed to Cadillac Boot and Shoe Leather Lotion. On Amazon someone asked if the Leather Lotion was the same as the "Care" version and seller responded that it was. I'm seeing prices higher for the "Care" version but "Leather Lotion" actually is cheaper and has Prime shipping. You can still find the "Care" version on eBay but since the labels and product descriptions are identical... Why pay more for older product?
I'm now waiting for these products to arrive and my bag to be fully authenticated before testing them out. I already have soft microfiber and clean white cotton cloths to use with the Cadillac Boot and Shoe Care/Leather Lotion for gentle buffing. I'm hoping it gets out some of the scratches on the lambskin flap of my Chloé. Read that the Cadillac would help with that.
Side Note: On the Hermés care threads, docride (TPF leather expert) recommends some products such as Blackrock Leather 'N' Rich (conditions and cleans) and Obenauf's Heavy Duty LP (aids in waterproofing and resistance to wear and tear) but they seemed a bit too heavy duty for a bag that's new/not that old and also that these products may darken lighter leathers. Unless your bag is really old or vintage and super thirsty, my general opinion after reading up on all of is that my bag wouldn't need the Blackrock or Obenauf's.
On top of all this I've heard of Saphir being thrown around as one of the finest products for caring luxury leather goods and that either Hermés endorses it or the members here who own it do and I believe I also read it in the Chanel forum. Looking into it, the products are a lot more pricey for the amount of product you get, although you probably won't need much... But I wasn't impressed with the reviews on Amazon or on other sites like Hanger Project and the fancy French sounding names just kind of scared me off as well. Haven't looked into the Saphir stuff far but I'm happy if Mulberry uses Collonil and Chanel uses Cadilliac.
Here is my bag:
The material composition for this particular Hudson style (according to the original tags):
Lining: 100% Suede Calfskin
Main Material: 100% Calfskin
Flap: 100% Lambskin
A lot of places including Net-A-Porter here (click "View product details) advertise that this is simply a calfskin bag but the flap here is lambskin which is much more delicate and care must be taken in products chosen to care for not only the lambskin and calfskin areas of the bag but the suede interior and fringe on the outside of the bag. Conditioners that are fine for calfskin may not be gentle enough for lambskin... You could buy multiple products to address each part of the bag but I wanted to condense my choices and effort.
Based on what I've read so far... I've seen a lot of recommendations for Collonil Waterstop spray for waterproofing (especially for brand new bags) and based on reviews and the product, it is safe for smooth leathers (delicate leather such as lambskin included) and suede. Used properly it sounds the product doesn't affect the supple buttery texture of lambskin while also allowing the leather to breathe which is very important. A reviewer on Amazon said she used it on Chloé and Gucci suede bags without adverse affects. Mulberry also recommends the product based on what I've read on the forums as well:
Conveniently available on Amazon but not without Prime shipping...
Then for conditioning the leather for maintenance and to clean and moisturize the leather (because leather is a dead animal's skin and needs to be maintained less it become cardboard dry and develops cracks and breaks), I've heard over and over in the Chanel lambskin care thread that the Chanel stores use Cadillac Boot and Shoe Care but it is now renamed to Cadillac Boot and Shoe Leather Lotion. On Amazon someone asked if the Leather Lotion was the same as the "Care" version and seller responded that it was. I'm seeing prices higher for the "Care" version but "Leather Lotion" actually is cheaper and has Prime shipping. You can still find the "Care" version on eBay but since the labels and product descriptions are identical... Why pay more for older product?
I'm now waiting for these products to arrive and my bag to be fully authenticated before testing them out. I already have soft microfiber and clean white cotton cloths to use with the Cadillac Boot and Shoe Care/Leather Lotion for gentle buffing. I'm hoping it gets out some of the scratches on the lambskin flap of my Chloé. Read that the Cadillac would help with that.
Side Note: On the Hermés care threads, docride (TPF leather expert) recommends some products such as Blackrock Leather 'N' Rich (conditions and cleans) and Obenauf's Heavy Duty LP (aids in waterproofing and resistance to wear and tear) but they seemed a bit too heavy duty for a bag that's new/not that old and also that these products may darken lighter leathers. Unless your bag is really old or vintage and super thirsty, my general opinion after reading up on all of is that my bag wouldn't need the Blackrock or Obenauf's.
On top of all this I've heard of Saphir being thrown around as one of the finest products for caring luxury leather goods and that either Hermés endorses it or the members here who own it do and I believe I also read it in the Chanel forum. Looking into it, the products are a lot more pricey for the amount of product you get, although you probably won't need much... But I wasn't impressed with the reviews on Amazon or on other sites like Hanger Project and the fancy French sounding names just kind of scared me off as well. Haven't looked into the Saphir stuff far but I'm happy if Mulberry uses Collonil and Chanel uses Cadilliac.
This probably won't help anyone who's waited this long to fix a color transfer problem but IMO, and again, this is just my opinion, I believe prevention is the key here especially with new bags, light colored bags and designer goods in general. Set yourself up for success rather than distress... and also getting a bag that suits your lifestyle and fashion. Not trying to knock anyone I'm quoting here at all BTW.
I tend to wear a dark wardrobe of neutrals (blacks, grays and whites) so I wouldn't have wanted a beige or white bag... Too much stress to maintain but if I did, I would have to be hyper conscious about not wearing dark jeans or clothing around a light colored bag but I realize it's nice to have contrast in a daily outfit hence the temptation to forget. Part of the prevention is also to be sure to put some kind of barrier on it first, like the Collonil Waterstop spray but that's no guarantee in preventing color transfer or stains but may help in removal if it does occur. Better to have the Collonil spray and wipe water droplets off than to have those very droplets stain or set in your bag. Same for grease stains, and accidental drip of food on the run, etc.
The idea of using baby wipes on a bag seems iffy only because there are so many brands with different ingredients in the wipes... And some of them probably contain more chemicals than is necessary to clean or remedy a bag and who knows if it would react badly to the bag you use it on with the dyes and such. A baby's skin is alive. A designer handbag is not... So using a product meant for something else just seems iffy and what about the ph balance of the product? Also applying such wipes on the hardware of the bag seems like a no-no although I've seen YouTubers do that.
Would I use a baby wipe on a piece of jewelry? No. I use a proper cleaner for the type of metal I'm working with... Although before cleaning and spraying, some people cover their hardware with plastic (food wrap) or painter's tape.Another prevention thing I think a lot of people and myself included would forget is to go easy on the nails and metal accessories, i.e., wearing rings and such or clothes that have studs for example as they can damage the bag when you least expect it. Ever been to Macy's or something and you see a cognac leather bag with a bunch of nail imprints and scratches? Yeeeah...
Pretty common sense but also easy to forget. I know I've carried a nice camera around, a Fujifilm X100S (worth around $1000 when it was new) and my mother has a tendency to just constantly bump into me on trips and I can't recount how many times I'm glad I kept the camera lens cover on as it has endured multiple dents from my mother's diamond ring. 
I've also read in some places that washing your dark or black jeans with a cup of vinegar (alone or with salt) is supposed to seal the dye from bleeding in the future. Haven't tried it myself but I got a black bag for that very reason... Less stress about keeping it absolutely pristine.
Hi, everyone! With all this free time, I'm getting around to doing some spring cleaning. I just came across my Chloe Faye in motty gray, and remembered that a few months ago, I went to a friend's birthday party and got lipstick on the top part of the bag, right on the suede. Unfortunately, this stain has definitely settled since it's been a few months, and the lipstick was an oil-based one (YSL Rouge Volupté Shine Oil-in-Stick).
Has anyone had any experience removing a stain like this on their Faye? Would you recommend taking it to a professional? I rarely reach for this bag which is likely why I forgot about it, but it has a lot of sentimental value as my first designer purchase back in the day.
Thanks in advance, all.
Has anyone had any experience removing a stain like this on their Faye? Would you recommend taking it to a professional? I rarely reach for this bag which is likely why I forgot about it, but it has a lot of sentimental value as my first designer purchase back in the day.
Thanks in advance, all.
I would def take it to a professional first. How bad is the stain?? I've worked a few of my stains out on some of my suede pieces by myself, but you have to be super careful and also it dependson how much surface area the stain is (or how dark it is)
Hi guys. I bought a Tess in the pebbled lambskin, in the color motty grey. Do I need to spray or treat this leather to prevent water stains and marks? Or is the leather already water resistant?